YouTube News
Explore With Us lost YouTube monetization over repetitive content rules
The true crime network said it will push new documentaries toward subscription service EWU Plus while keeping its existing YouTube library online.
Explore With Us told subscribers in a community post on October 30 that YouTube had stripped monetization from the channel, citing rules against repetitive or generic content.
The network publishes long-form documentaries built from police interrogations, bodycam footage, and public records. In May it helped fund DNA testing that contributed to an arrest in a 42-year-old murder cold case.
YouTube has tightened enforcement on videos it classifies as repetitive, generic, or primarily designed to shock viewers, while allowing original work with educational value. EWU said the strike targeted its monetization status specifically under the repetitive-content policy.
The team disputed the finding. "Despite the countless hours our team spends investigating cases, obtaining public records, uncovering evidence, writing original scripts, and producing each documentary, YouTube has determined that our content violates its monetization policies concerning repetitive or generic content," the post read. EWU added that it strongly disagreed but would not stop publishing.
Creators described years of editing crime-scene material, interrogations, and bodycam clips to meet platform limits, including muting certain words. They framed those limits as censorship in the post but did not say YouTube had removed videos.
EWU said it began building EWU Plus, a paid streaming service, about six months ago. The offering promises longer cuts, exclusive footage, fewer ad breaks, and eventual access to case files such as police reports and interrogation recordings.
The channel said it would keep uploading to YouTube and seek reinstatement while shifting most new production to EWU Plus. "We'll continue publishing documentaries here and working toward restoring monetization. However, we'll be focusing much more of our new content and resources on EWU Plus, where our viewers can get the in depth documentaries as they were intended."